Pop-Culturalist.com

For over two decades, Laura Niemi has created magic on the stage and screen. It’s her ability to disappear and transform into a character that has landed her coveted roles in The Sopranos, The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives, Hollywood Heights, and General Hospital.

But she’s probably best known for her portrayal as Marilyn Pearson in Dan Fogelman’s This Is Us, which just aired its series finale. As she closes that chapter in her career, Laura chatted with us about her experience working on the show and collaborating with Milo Ventimiglia.

Plus, Laura teases what fans can expect from her two latest projects: Stranger Things Season 4 and The Patient.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and the arts?
Laura: I’ve always been in the performing arts, whether it be music or dance. I just loved performing. It’s always been my thing. Did I think it was going to be something I would do as a profession? I didn’t think that far ahead. I always wondered about that—when kids say they know what they want to be when they’re an adult. I’m always like, “You’re a kid. Really? Okay.” But I just loved doing it. Then I became very involved in music and got into various different bands. My mom was also in the film industry.

I’ve always said I’d never end up in the film industry because back in the day it was really a boys’ club. I saw how hard my mom had to work and how long the hours were. As a kid, I saw that as the thing that was taking her away on location and whatnot and away from me. But the family business pulled me in.

I got really involved in theater. That was my first passion (in terms of acting). In LA, it’s mostly television and film. That transition seemed inevitable and a way to make money. [laughs] In theater, you don’t really make money unless you’re on Broadway all the time.

PC: How would you say the stage has shaped the artist that you are today? What was that transition like going from that medium to film and television?
Laura: I’m just now getting used to it. For me, it’s been a harder transition. I remember Joan Allen talked about how it took her years before she finally understood lighting, the camera, and where she was placed in it all. I think I’m a late bloomer. It’s taken me a long time to be aware of the camera because it’s a different art form. It really, really is. It was a little challenging. Now, of course, I love it because I look at it so differently. I look at it as something that’s so intimate. You have this really intimate relationship with the camera. You’re in close proximity to your scene mate. The camera picks up feelings and thoughts. In theater, you have to project to the mezzanine.

PC: In addition to acting, you’re also a producer and writer. How have your experiences behind the scenes made you a stronger actor on screen and vice versa?
Laura: I always balk at people who feel like producing and writing take away from your time as an actor. To me, you form a clearer sense of where you are in the picture. That’s what it’s done for me. It’s made me understand a bit more about what it means to be an actor because it’s a team sport. You’re part of the puzzle. A good editor, lighting designer, sound designer, and all those roles factor into the puzzle of how things come together. It’s deepened my craft.

PC: You’ve had so much success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Laura: This Is Us. I could get choked up talking about it. It’s very rare in an actor’s life that you get to play a part that you love so much and with players that you think are extraordinary people and artists. The writing is incredible. To be able to say those words, to be able to go through the aging process of being Marilyn in her 20s and then in her 60s and explore all those different ages…what a gift. That’s been a big moment that came to me later in my life because I’ve been doing this for a minute. I’m a little bit of a late bloomer in that sense.

PC: This is such an exciting week for you. The This Is Us finale just aired. Stranger Things Season 4 just dropped. Let’s first talk about This Is Us. When you look back at this experience, what will you remember the most? Did anything surprise you about that journey?
Laura: Marilyn wasn’t as fleshed out in the early stages. My hope was always that she was going to be more fleshed out. I’m really glad the writers did just that. This season really captured the storytelling between my character and Jack. I’m glad that they did that because as a viewer those were the questions I had. Those are the questions we all have in terms of who are the parents and why are they like that? Our parents are who mold us into the people that we are. Also working with Milo [Ventimiglia]. He’s an extraordinary scene partner. He’s very present and a very generous scene partner. I’ve done gigs since then, and I’ll always take that with me.

PC: In theater, you know where your character’s storyline is going. You have a start, a middle, and an end. In television, you’re learning more about your character as the story goes on. How has that changed the way you approached these characters and projects?
Laura: It keeps you more present, that’s for sure. You play the scene and that moment. You don’t know what’s going to happen further along down the road. It’s challenging at times, but what’s nice about it is you can use your imagination. “Well, maybe if I put this in it, sprinkle this little fairy dust in it”—whatever you need to get you through this scene to make it your own. You fill it in in your own way, which is fun because you get to play it in your imagination. It’s not written down in black and white where you’re going to be. You get to explore different things. In that way, it’s one of the reasons why I love auditioning because it’s before the director’s there to tweak the performance or before the editor comes in. It’s the purest interpretation of what I feel this character is. That’s why I love auditioning.

PC: Great answer. Stranger Things Season 4 just dropped today. I know you can’t say too much, but what can fans and audiences expect from your character?
Laura: Well, I have a cameo in Stranger Things. The Duffer Brothers are extraordinary. I’m a big fan of the show. The fact that I was brought on is so cool. I got to work with some of the main cast there. They’re so humble and so cool. They’re very, very, very hard working. The days are long on that set. They’re an extraordinary cast and crew with really hard workers. That’s probably the hardest working set that I’ve been on in terms of how they maneuver through all these pieces of the puzzle that they go through.

PC: You’ve been a part of projects with these massive fan bases. Does that bring a different pressure heading into a project like this or This Is Us?
Laura: Are you kidding? It’s the best part of it. It’s so fun. I mean, anybody wants to be on a show that people are watching, right? That’s what’s so cool about it. I love that they’re such different genres. As an actor, there is always this fear that, “Oh no. I’m going to end up in only family dramas. I’m going to be the go-to mom in family dramas.” There’s so much more than that that us actors can do. We want to explore different characters. This past year has been wonderful because none of the characters that I’ve played are anything alike. I could thread certain things, but for the most part, they’re nothing alike. That’s a wonderful gift.

PC: You’ve brought these complex characters to life in different genres. As you look ahead, is there a dream role that you would love to bring to life on the screen? Is there a genre that you’ve yet to explore that you would love to dive deeper into?
Laura: I’d love to do a Western. I’ve never done a Western. That would be really, really cool. I’ve said this before, but I’d love to be able to play a real-life character who has a real story. I think it’s the challenge of wanting to bring my own interpretation to the part while also honoring that person. I’m loving The First Lady. I’m loving that show. What a dream it would be to play Betty Ford.

PC: What is your character development process like when you’re joining a new project and in particular with This Is Us where there are so many emotional moments? As an actor, how do you create the space for yourself to dive into those moments?
Laura: Music’s my big go-to. I hear the music before I can do anything. It’s where I’ve always been and where I’ve always lived. That’s been a big part of my process. I create a playlist. I had a teacher a long time ago tell me, “When you create a playlist, never share it with anyone. That’s sacred music.” So I have my Marilyn Pearson music. I have my Beth Strauss music from The Patient. I play it on loop going to set, in my trailer. It’s in the background when I’m getting the lines down. Music has always been a real big deal for me in that way.

PC: Speaking of The Patient, what can audiences expect from that series?
Laura: I can tell you that I play Steve Carell’s wife. It’s nothing like what you’ve seen Steve Carell do. He’s extraordinary in this. He’s really something to be reckoned with. It’s an extraordinary cast. These are actors that I’ve admired for a long time, and to be able to get to work with them is incredible. It’s dark. It has incredible writing. These are the writers of The Americans. They’re brilliant in terms of what they’ve done with this series. It’s quite wonderful to work on, and it’s been a gift.

To keep up with Laura, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Binge watch This Is Us on NBC and Stranger Things on Netflix.

Photo Credit: Lalo Sandoval